1. Field
Aspects of the present invention generally relate to a printing apparatus, a method for controlling the printing apparatus, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
A recent image processing apparatus has a plurality of functions, including not only a copy function but also a printing function and a network function. One of other functions that can be newly added for the image processing apparatus is a function of enabling a user to customize a paper type.
The paper type is generally represented by plain paper, thick paper, and tab paper. The paper type indicates a type of each paper that requires a unique operation to be performed to realize the printing function of the image processing apparatus. For example, in a case where a paper to be processed is the thick paper, the image processing apparatus performs fixation at a temperature higher than that for the plain paper. In a case where the paper to be processed is the tab paper, reversing the paper is restricted when the image processing apparatus performs two-sided printing. Therefore, each user needs to set a paper type accurately according to the type of a paper that the user wants to use in printing. Thus, the image processing apparatus can perform printing while appropriately handling the paper that the user wants to use in printing.
In general, a user selects one of paper types that are defined beforehand by the manufacturer of each image processing apparatus. On the other hand, a new function of enabling a user to customize the paper type is also available. Hereinafter, the above-mentioned new function is referred to as “paper brand function.” For example, when the paper type of a paper to be processed has a fixed name (e.g., plain paper, thick paper, or tab paper), the paper brand function enables each user to change the name of the paper type. For example, when a user wants to use a specific paper (i.e., a paper different from the general papers) in printing, the user intends to discriminate the selected paper from generally used papers as a high-priced paper having excellent quality in fibers constituting the paper or as having a special watermark (e.g., firm name). In this case, the user may want to give a unique paper name (e.g., “high-grade paper” or “watermarked paper”), which is discriminable from that of the general plain paper, to the selected paper and may want to designate the changed paper name in using the paper in printing. Further, the image processing apparatus identifies the “high-grade paper” or the “watermarked paper” as a paper different from the plain paper. Therefore, the “high-grade paper” or the “watermarked paper” is not used for a job designating the usage of the plain paper. Accordingly, changing the name of the paper type is effective to prevent any careless paper feeding.
Although the color of papers is generally white, other color papers may be used. For example, there is a method for printing products for women using red papers while printing products for men using blue papers in such a way as to effectively discriminate print contents from each other. In this case, a user defines two types of papers by changing the color attribute of a paper type from ordinary white to red or blue and registers “red paper” and “blue paper” as two types of paper type names. Then, the user designates the red paper in printing products for women and designates the blue paper in printing products for men so that printing can be performed using desired color papers. In this manner, the paper brand function enables each user to handle papers flexibly.
An image processing apparatus discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-029120 has a function of registering a paper type, if it is customized by a user using the above-mentioned paper brand function, in a database (hereinafter, referred to as “DB”) and a function of setting an arbitrary paper type, if it is selected by the user from the DB, as a paper type of papers to be fed from a paper feeding stage.
However, according to the functions discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-029120, when a user generates new paper information and sets the newly generated paper information for a paper feeding stage, the user is required to register the newly generated paper information in the DB beforehand. Accordingly, a significant labor and time is required for the user to complete the setting of new paper information for the paper feeding stage.